CVE-2014-5044
📋 TL;DR
Multiple integer overflow vulnerabilities in libgfortran (GNU Fortran runtime library) allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via specially crafted Fortran array allocations. This affects any system running vulnerable Fortran applications that process untrusted input.
💻 Affected Systems
- GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)
- libgfortran
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with the privileges of the Fortran application, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Likely Case
Denial of service through application crashes when processing malformed input.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if applications don't process untrusted input or have proper input validation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Proof-of-concept code exists in security advisories. Exploitation requires crafting specific Fortran array allocation requests.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: GCC 4.8.3, 4.9.1, or later
Vendor Advisory: https://gcc.gnu.org/viewcvs/gcc/trunk/libgfortran/ChangeLog?limit_changes=0&view=markup&pathrev=211721
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update GCC to version 4.8.3, 4.9.1 or later. 2. Recompile affected Fortran applications with the updated compiler. 3. Restart applications using the updated libraries.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation
allImplement strict input validation in Fortran applications to reject malformed array allocation requests.
Library Replacement
linuxReplace libgfortran with patched version without recompiling entire GCC toolchain.
yum update libgfortran
apt-get install libgfortran3
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate vulnerable Fortran applications in restricted network segments
- Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all Fortran application inputs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check GCC version: gcc --version | grep -E '4\.[0-7]|4\.8\.[0-2]|4\.9\.0'Check Version:
gcc --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify GCC version is 4.8.3, 4.9.1 or later: gcc --version📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Fortran application crashes with segmentation faults
- Unexpected termination of Fortran processes
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network traffic to Fortran application ports
- Repeated connection attempts with malformed data
SIEM Query:
process.name:"fortran_app" AND event.type:"crash" OR event.type:"segfault"🔗 References
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/24/1
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/31/6
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1122812
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/94849
- https://gcc.gnu.org/viewcvs/gcc/trunk/libgfortran/ChangeLog?limit_changes=0&view=markup&pathrev=211721
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/24/1
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/31/6
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1122812
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/94849
- https://gcc.gnu.org/viewcvs/gcc/trunk/libgfortran/ChangeLog?limit_changes=0&view=markup&pathrev=211721
